Introduction to Liszt

[odsum25]

I've glanced at several works by Liszt, but have never intently studied one of his pieces.  I noticed that Valee d'Oberman was suggested a few days ago, but was interested in getting some other thoughts on what to begin with.

[porilo]

I think Valle d'Oberman is a great piece - not too easy but effective if well played.  In fact, try the whole of the first book of the Annees de Pelerinage (Switzerland).  It has a variety of pieces of different lengths, styles, and difficulty.  I started with the first one, Chappelle de Guillaume Tell, and it's always been one of my favourites. I also love "Au bord d'une source" but I still can't get it to flow properly.  Mine always seems to sound like an elephant paddling through a river !!  Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it needs a lot more practice !

Gregory

[musicsdarkangel]

Well, my first Liszt piece was La Campanella (just this year actually), and I actually finished it.


It depends how much you are willing to work on it.



What other difficult repitoire have you played?

[odsum25]

Well, in the past year I've worked on Beethoven's Pastorale, Op. 28, the Brahms G Minor Rhapsody, Chopin G Minor Ballade, the Butterfly Etude, the Bartok Sonata, Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Tunes, etc.

[nanabush]

G minor Ballade, nice!  I'm currently learning and having a pretty rough time with a few spots, how long did it take to learn?

[odsum25]

About three weeks to get all the notes really under my hand, but musically I'm still working it out, (several months later.)

[Goldberg]

Well, my first Liszt piece was La Campanella (just this year actually), and I actually finished it.


It depends how much you are willing to work on it.



What other difficult repitoire have you played?

No kidding? Mine too! I think it makes a great introduction to Liszt, really, provided the pianist already has a fair amount of technical ability. It took me about 3 months to learn, if I remember correctly, which actually is an enormously long time for such a simple little piece, but I did have some other things going on too (basically though I was just inefficiently practicing...).

[nanabush]

Longest time for a piece for me, I dont know how long about 3/4 of a year to learn Grieg Sonata, probably a bit longer, but that was not the only piece.  I hate learning very long music it sucks when you've finished like 5 pages, but you still have over 20 left to learn... such a marathon!

[musicsdarkangel]

Well, in the past year I've worked on Beethoven's Pastorale, Op. 28, the Brahms G Minor Rhapsody, Chopin G Minor Ballade, the Butterfly Etude, the Bartok Sonata, Improvisations on Hungarian Peasant Tunes, etc.

Take on La Campanella, it'll be great for you.

[Rach3]

I think there are much more interesting things to start with than La Campanella, for example any of the Petrarch sonnets.

[odsum25]

Well, La Campanella is definitely out.  I just don't think it is that worthwhile an endeavor.  I was listening to the Deux Legendes, (St. Francis and St. Francis,) and am starting to consider them.  I haven't pulled out the score, but does anyone have thoughts on them?

[nanabush]

I just checked them out at sheetmusicarchive... and they look pretty frikin difficult...I'm not gonna bother with that, I'm just gonna do performers Arct with easier pieces, then after just do random pieces that I want to learn...I think the one with the Saint __ walking on water or something like that I forget the name, it has lotsa fast notes, but sound great.